OVERWEIGHT
                                  AND
                              UNDERWEIGHT


                           METROPOLITAN LIFE
                           INSURANCE COMPANY
                         HOME OFFICE: NEW YORK
                Pacific Coast Head Office: San Francisco
                      Canadian Head Office: Ottawa




                                CONTENTS


                                                                    PAGE
      What Is Desirable Weight?                                        3
  Overweight and Its Dangers                                           5
      What Makes a Person Fat?                                         5
      Why Do People Overeat?                                           6
      How to Lose Weight                                               7
      The Body’s Need for Food                                         8
      The Body’s Need for Exercise                                    11
      What About Short Cuts?                                          12
      How Many Calories?                                              13
      On Keeping a Record                                             19
      Special Problems                                                19
  Underweight and Its Dangers                                         22
      What Causes Underweight?                                        22
      How to Gain Weight                                              23
      Adding Extra Calories                                           24
      Saving Energy                                                   24
  Calorie Tables                                                      25


                        Edition of January 1953
          COPYRIGHT 1950, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.

       P.F.M.—PRINTED IN U.S.A.—(u) 380 L. W. (Edition Jan. 1953)

    [Illustration: OVERWEIGHT and UNDERWEIGHT]




                      _What Is Desirable Weight?_


Desirable weight is a very individual thing. It may be described as the
weight at which a person both _looks_ and _feels_ his best. Height, bone
structure, and muscular development must all be taken into account.

Because no two people are alike, weight tables cannot show with complete
accuracy exactly what every individual should weigh. The tables shown
here are given as a guide rather than as a rigid standard to which
everyone should conform. They show desirable weights for men and women
at age 25 and over. After a person is full grown and has reached his
best weight, he should not gain or lose much for the rest of his life.
It used to be considered inevitable and normal for people to get heavier
toward middle age. We know now that it is not a normal part of getting
older, not healthy, and not necessary.

Life is much easier in many ways for people who are not too fat or too
thin. They usually feel and look better. They are apt to live longer.
They are less likely to suffer from backaches, foot troubles, constant
fatigue, and a host of daily discomforts. They have more fun buying
clothes. Normal weight is worth any effort it takes to reach and
keep—worth it in terms of everyday comfort and of a healthier, longer
life.

    DESIRABLE WEIGHTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF AGES 25 AND OVER[1]
   Weight in Pounds According to Frame (as Ordinarily Dressed)
  _men_       HEIGHT      SMALL FRAME  MEDIUM FRAME LARGE FRAME
          (with shoes on)
           Feet   Inches

             5       2      116-125      124-133      131-142
             5       3      119-128      127-136      133-144
             5       4      122-132      130-140      137-149
             5       5      126-136      134-144      141-153
             5       6      129-139      137-147      145-157
             5       7      133-143      141-151      149-162
             5       8      136-147      145-156      153-166
             5       9      140-151      149-160      157-170
             5      10      144-155      153-164      161-175
             5      11      148-159      157-168      165-180
             6       0      152-164      161-173      169-185
             6       1      157-169      166-178      174-190
             6       2      163-175      171-184      179-196
             6       3      168-180      176-189      184-202

  _women_     HEIGHT      SMALL FRAME  MEDIUM FRAME LARGE FRAME
          (with shoes on)
           Feet   Inches

             4      11      104-111      110-118      117-127
             5       0      105-113      112-120      119-129
             5       1      107-115      114-122      121-131
             5       2      110-118      117-125      124-135
             5       3      113-121      120-128      127-138
             5       4      116-125      124-132      131-142
             5       5      119-128      127-135      133-145
             5       6      123-132      130-140      138-150
             5       7      126-136      134-144      142-154
             5       8      129-139      137-147      145-158
             5       9      133-143      141-151      149-162
             5      10      136-147      145-155      152-166
             5      11      139-150      148-158      155-169




                       OVERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS


Anyone who is 15 or more pounds heavier than his desirable weight is
considered overweight. For those still in their 20’s or younger a
_little_ extra weight does no harm. For people over 30 it is not good.

Overweight is a danger signal, particularly for those over 40. Studies
of life insurance figures show that overweight people develop diabetes,
heart disease, high blood pressure, and other life-shortening conditions
earlier, and are apt to die younger, than people whose weight is normal.
They are poor surgical risks and have less resistance to infection.
Stout women are more likely to develop complications in pregnancy.


_What Makes a Person Fat?_

Most people are fat simply because they eat too much. This does not
necessarily mean that they stuff themselves with large quantities of
food. It does mean that they take in more calories[2] than their bodies
can use. This is often surprisingly easy to do, particularly for a
person who has poor eating habits.

Some people blame their overweight on metabolism (the rate at which
their bodies use energy) and on the glands which regulate metabolism. In
a very few cases, poorly functioning glands may _contribute_ to
overweight. Even then, the overweight patient who is under a physician’s
treatment for glandular disorders is able to lose weight when his food
intake is regulated.

What many people do not realize, however, is that the body’s energy
requirements usually change after age 30 or 40. As a person gets older,
metabolism slows down, and fewer calories are needed to maintain weight.
The trouble is that eating habits usually stay exactly the same, while
physical activity often decreases.

Heredity is often claimed as a cause of overweight. Careful studies do
not bear this out. Heredity does determine the type of body build a
person has, but when people from overweight families change their eating
habits it has been proved that they, too, can lose weight.

Actually, most overweight people readily admit that their excess
poundage comes from overeating. They say they just don’t seem to be able
to stop. Knowing why a thing is hard to do sometimes makes it easier to
change.


_Why Do People Overeat?_

Many people eat more than they need for reasons that have little to do
with hunger. Habit is one of them. Eating habits are set in patterns
which have often been followed for years. Such patterns are not always
easy to change, but with persistence and determination they can be
altered.

Some people develop the habit of overeating because good food and plenty
of it is a family tradition. Some fall into the habit because of
sociability. They eat more frequently and so consume greater amounts of
food than they need. Some people consider food as a symbol of success or
social standing, and so eating rich food and too much of it becomes a
custom. Not infrequently the habit is established in pregnancy, in
convalescence from some illness, or in other situations when extra food
may be required.

Other common reasons have their roots in the emotions. Some people eat
constantly because they are bored, and eating is something pleasant to
do. Others because they are lonely, or feel unloved, or suffer from
discontent about money, job, family relationships, or social standing.
People who overeat for such reasons usually find it necessary to do
something about their emotional problems before they are able to tackle
their eating habits successfully.


_How to Lose Weight_

Physical condition, degree of overweight, and individual living habits
must all be carefully evaluated before an effective, safe reducing plan
can be worked out. No one can do all this for himself. Only a physician
has the necessary skill and equipment to decide how much, how fast, and
with what treatment a person should lose weight. What benefits one may
harm another. Therefore, a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.

Anyone who really wants to get rid of excess poundage can do it. Lots of
people have, with determination and persistence. Desire and will power
are “musts” in any reducing program.

Everyone knows that self-denial is not easy and that changing
long-established habits taxes the strongest will. Therefore, a person
who is trying to do this difficult job deserves the help and support of
his family and friends. Few people are able to persist in any course of
action in the face of commiseration, indifference, ridicule, or
opposition from those they love and respect.

To be worth anything, a loss of weight must be permanent. Therefore,
anyone who wants to benefit from a weight-reduction program must make up
his mind that he is changing his eating habits for life. Going back to
old patterns will only pile up the pounds all over again. Unless this
fact is accepted, reducing efforts will probably be wasted.


_The Body’s Need for Food_

Awake or asleep, the body needs energy for every breath, every
heartbeat, every activity of living. Food supplies this energy which is
measured in units called calories.

When a person eats only enough to supply the energy he uses, his weight
stays the same. If he takes in more calories than he needs, the excess
is stored as fat. If his food adds up to fewer calories than he needs,
his body takes the extra energy out of its storehouse of fat, and a loss
in weight occurs. Reducing diets are based on this simple principle:
_taking in fewer calories than needed to force the body to use its
stored fat_.

Foods vary in the number of calories they contain. As most people know,
fats of all kinds have the most calories. One tablespoon of butter, for
example, has in it about as many calories as a good slice of lean roast
beef, or a cup of beets, or a quarter of a pound of cod steak. Sugars,
alcohol, and starches are the next richest source of calories. Starches
include cereals, flour and everything made with flour, potatoes, peas,
beans, and corn. When calories must be cut down to make the body use
stored fat, alcoholic drinks and foods rich in fats, sugars, and
starches are the first to be restricted.

However, no one can lose weight safely by counting calories alone. In
the 1920’s, when a slim, boyish figure was in style, many girls and
women made themselves seriously ill by reducing their weight without
regard to the kinds of food they ate.

For good health, food must supply everyone—young and old alike—with more
than calories. The body is constantly repairing and renewing itself. New
cells are always growing to replace those worn out in doing their work.
In babies, children, and young people, cell-making is going on at top
speed, because actual growth is taking place. As in any building
process, the right materials are needed. The body’s most essential
building and maintenance materials are found in proteins. Foods richest
in proteins include milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese.

Two other elements necessary for health are vitamins and minerals. Some
of these are found in the same foods which are rich in protein. Others
are found in grain products, fruits, vegetables, and fats.

To insure a well-balanced diet, made up of the protective foods
containing enough proteins, vitamins, and minerals, everyone should have
_daily_:

    _Milk_—2 or more glasses for adults. 4 or more for children and
          expectant and nursing mothers.
    _Vegetables_—2 or more servings, green or yellow.
    _Fruits_—2 servings, 1 a citrus fruit or tomato.
    _Eggs_—1; at least 3 to 5 a week.
    _Meat, fish, poultry, or cheese_—1 or more servings (dried legumes
          may be substituted occasionally).
    _Cereal and Bread_—2 servings, whole-grain or enriched.
    _Fats_—1 to 3 tablespoons. (_In reducing diets, some of the fat
          allowance may be in the cream in whole milk._)

People who are not overweight can add what they like to this list in the
way of other foods and second helpings, to make up their caloric
requirements. People who want to lose weight can add little or nothing.
That is the only real difference between a well-balanced normal diet and
a well-balanced reducing diet. Because this difference often means
restrictions on cakes, pastries, extra butter, rich sauces, cocktails,
beer, soft drinks, and other high-calorie favorites, it is a hard one
for many people to accept. Nevertheless, it must be accepted by everyone
who wants to lose weight.

Few people claim that the first days on a reducing diet are happy ones.
Some individuals find it easier to adjust than others, but all agree
that the period of discomfort does not last too long if they persevere.
They also claim that a wonderful feeling of physical vigor and
liberation follows as they lose weight. The ability to bend down again
with ease, the disappearance of unsightly bulges, and the pleasure of
buying smaller sizes in clothes are among the things which amply
compensate for any early discomfort.


_The Body’s Need for Exercise_

Every healthy person needs some exercise. Daily physical exertion is
good for muscle tone and circulation. It also helps to relieve the
tension many people pile up in the course of a day’s work.

Regular exercise, if not carried to the point of increasing hunger, can
help in a reducing program, because the more active a person is, the
more calories he needs to burn. But for the overweight individual,
exercise can never replace eating less. A person would have to walk
about five miles to use up the calories in one chocolate sundae. He
would have to saw wood for an hour or so to offset a piece of apple pie,
or walk about a mile to work off two graham crackers. Obviously, it is
simpler to avoid eating the sundae, the pie, or the crackers than to try
to exercise them off.

The decision about exercising while losing weight should be left to the
physician supervising the reducing program. The kind and amount of extra
physical activity which he advises will depend on age, physical
condition, and previous habits. For children and young patients he will
probably advise lots of exercise and active sports. For older people he
may not prescribe anything more strenuous than walking. For people with
heart or circulatory conditions, he may caution against any exercise.
The necessity for tailoring the treatment to the individual in this way
is one of the reasons why a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.


_What About Short Cuts?_

No one who has taken on the job of losing weight will say that the
self-denial involved is pleasant. It is only natural to wonder if there
isn’t an easier way: What about drugs, steam baths, massage, or other
quick methods?

Any drug which can increase the body’s rate of burning calories enough
to effect weight reduction without dieting is dangerous. One drug,
released in the early 1930’s without medical sanction, “worked”; but it
also caused deafness, blindness, and paralysis before it was withdrawn
from the market. Even if drugs are prescribed by a physician, they will
be used in addition to—not in place of—a diet.

Many people wonder about steam baths and massage as a short cut. Steam
baths are often a delusion. The profuse sweating which a steam bath
induces is apt to cause a sudden drop in weight because of water loss.
Thirst soon makes the average person replace the lost water, and his
weight is usually exactly what it was before.

Swedish massage is a relaxing luxury for those who can afford it. It is
good for the circulation, and helps to keep tissues in firm condition.
However, it will not take off pounds nor allow additions to the diet.

Nobody likes to believe unpleasant truths. Therefore, the search for
short cuts goes on. Ten-day wonder diets; special foods; spot-reducing
gadgets—many of these fads are harmless, though expensive and
ineffective. Some suggest, in small print, that special low-calorie
diets should be followed, thus acknowledging the disagreeable truth—that
there is no way to reduce safely without eating less. It all boils down
to this: No easy way is safe; no safe way is easy.


_How Many Calories?_

In planning the day’s food, it should be decided into which meals the
essential foods will go, and their calories should be computed first.
Choice may then dictate the selection of the foods to make up the rest
of the day’s allowance. All foods and most beverages supply calories;
therefore, it is important to know the calorie content of the usual
portions of different foods. Tables which list the calories in common
foods and beverages begin on page 25.

One of the most frequently selected diets for healthy adults who need to
reduce is a three-meal-a-day schedule allowing, in all, 1,200 calories.
Some people, however, cannot lose weight satisfactorily on a
1,200-calorie diet. The doctor may cut their daily calorie allowance to
1,000 if their progress is too slow, or increase it to 1,500 if they are
losing too rapidly. Examples of 1,000-, 1,200-, and 1,500-calorie diets
are given on pages 16-17. Diets which fall below 1,000 calories require
very close medical supervision and are usually used only in cases where
a rapid loss of weight is required for serious conditions.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are often prescribed for people on a
reducing diet, especially if it allows less than 1,200 calories. This is
to make doubly sure that the body gets all the vitamins and minerals it
needs. The use of such supplements is never intended to take the place
of eating the essential foods.

Some people, when they first see their reducing diet, are firmly
convinced that they have never eaten as much as their present diet
allows them to. They are judging the caloric value of their food by its
looks. The calories hidden in butter, sugar, and cream used for cooking
and in beverages are invisible.

Unfortunately, it is easy to make a 1,000-calorie diet, for example, add
up to about 2,000 merely by adding 4 tablespoons of butter to the
vegetables, sugar and cream to 3 cups of coffee or tea, a tablespoon of
French dressing on the salad, and substituting 3 halves of canned
peaches with sirup for the ½ cup of fresh fruit at lunch.

Few people stop to think that their hidden calories may be in the
cocktail, the glass of beer, or the soda pop which they love. Liquids go
down so quickly and easily that it is often hard to realize that they
can contribute to overweight. A glance at the calorie tables on pages 25
-32 will show why they are to be avoided by anyone who is trying to lose
weight.




_Some perfectly good foods which add extra calories to a diet are:_

  Cake—especially with icing
  Cookies
  Cream
  Candy
  Salad oil
  Fatty meat
  Fried foods
  Nuts
  Olives
  Chocolate
  Coconut
  More butter than is allowed on the diet
  Gravy
  Pastries
  Avocados
  Jelly and jam
  Honey
  Marmalade
  Sirups
  Sugar
  Puddings
  Sweetened beverages


_Remember_

  1. To have 1½ pints of milk every day.
  2. To cut the visible fat from meat.
  3. To eat a salad or raw vegetable every day if possible.
  4. To eat a green, leafy, or yellow vegetable every day.
  5. To have a serving of citrus fruit, tomato, cantaloupe,
              strawberries, or raw cabbage every day.
  6. To choose the bread or cereal you use from enriched, whole-grain,
              or rye varieties.




                             HELPFUL HINTS


  1. Eat regular meals at regular times. Omitting a meal—particularly
              breakfast—is a strain on the body and a major cause of
              fatigue.
  2. Eat all meals slowly and chew well. This helps to make smaller
              amounts of food more satisfying.
  3. Never eat when emotionally upset or overtired. Relax or rest first.
  4. Watch closely for hidden calories.
  5. If drinking clear coffee or tea is too much of an ordeal, add some
              of the day’s allowance of milk, and use saccharin or
              another noncaloric sweetening agent. They may also be used
              to sweeten cooked fruits.
  6. Stay away from highly seasoned foods. They stimulate the appetite.
  7. Clear tea, coffee, or bouillon have no caloric values and may be
              used freely.
  8. An average serving of meat is 3 ounces. Two eggs or ½ cup of
              cottage cheese can be substituted for 2 ounces of meat.

                            1000 CALORIE DIET

  breakfast
            Fresh fruit or juice         1 serving—½ cup
            Egg—cooked without fat       1
            Bread or cereal              1 slice of bread or small
                                           serving of cereal
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Skim milk or buttermilk      1 glass—8 ounces
            Clear coffee or tea
  dinner
            Lean meat, fish, or poultry  3 ounces (average serving)
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
                                           II
            Skim milk or buttermilk      1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit—raw, or cooked or      1 serving—½ cup
            canned without sugar
  lunch or
  supper
            Cottage cheese, meat, or     ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
            eggs                           meat, or 2 eggs
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
                                           II
            Skim milk or buttermilk      1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit—raw, or cooked or      1 serving—½ cup
            canned without sugar

                            1200 CALORIE DIET

  breakfast
            Fresh fruit or juice         1 serving—½ cup
            Egg—cooked without fat       1
            Bread or cereal              1 slice of bread or small
                                           serving of cereal
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Clear coffee or tea
  dinner
            Lean meat, fish, or poultry  3 ounces (average serving)
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup Group I
            Potato or bread              1 small potato or 1 slice of
                                           bread
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit—raw, or cooked or      1 serving—½ cup
            canned without sugar
  lunch or
  supper
            Cottage cheese, meat, or     ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
            eggs                           meat, or 2 eggs
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup raw Group I and ½ cup
                                           Group II
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit—raw, or cooked or      1 serving—½ cup
            canned without sugar

                            1500 CALORIE DIET

  breakfast
            Fresh fruit of juice         1 serving—½ cup
            Egg—cooked without fat       1
            Bread or cereal              1 slice of bread or a serving
                                           of cereal (1 cup prepared or
                                           ½ cup cooked)
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Coffee or tea
            Cream                        1 tablespoon
  dinner
            Lean meat, fish, or poultry  3 ounces (average serving)
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
                                           II
            Potato                       1 small
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit—raw, or cooked or      1 serving—½ cup
            canned without sugar
  lunch or
  supper
            Cottage cheese, meat, or     ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
            eggs                           meat, or 2 eggs
            Vegetables[3]                ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
                                           II
            Bread                        1 slice
            Butter or margarine          1 level teaspoon
            Milk                         1 glass—8 ounces
            Fruit, plain custard, or     ½ cup of fruit or custard, or
            plain cookies                  2 cookies

Vegetables are listed below in two groups, according to their
carbohydrate content. Those in Group I have no more than 3 percent
carbohydrate, and those in Group II have no more than 9 percent. It is
simpler to choose the vegetables according to the listings than to count
the calories for each vegetable in the day’s meals.

Where the diets on pages 16-17 call for fruits, these may be chosen from
the lower-calorie fruits listed below.

  _vegetables_

  GROUP I
  Asparagus
  Beet greens
  Broccoli
  Cabbage
  Cauliflower
  Celery
  Chard
  Chicory
  Chinese Cabbage
  Cucumber
  Endive
  Escarole
  Lettuce
  Mushrooms
  Mustard greens
  Radishes
  Sauerkraut
  Spinach
  Summer squash
  Tomato Juice
  Tomatoes
  Turnip tops
  Watercress

  GROUP II
  Artichokes
  Beans, green
  Beans, wax
  Beets
  Brussels sprouts
  Carrots
  Collards
  Dandelion greens
  Eggplant
  Kale
  Kohlrabi
  Lambsquarters
  Okra
  Onions
  Peppers
  Pumpkin
  Rutabagas
  Squash, winter
  Turnips

  _fruit_

  Apples
  Apricots
  Blackberries
  Blueberries
  Cherries
  Cranberries
  Currants
  Gooseberries
  Grapefruit
  Grapefruit juice
  Lemons
  Limes
  Loganberries
  Melons
    Cantaloupe
    Casaba
    Honeydew
    Spanish
    Watermelon
  Oranges
  Orange juice
  Peaches
  Pears
  Pineapple
  Pineapple juice
  Plums
  Raspberries
  Rhubarb
  Strawberries
  Tangerines


_On Keeping a Record_

Most people find it helpful to keep a record of their progress. Weight
should be recorded once a week only. To show progress accurately, the
same scales should be used at the same time of the day.

It is also helpful to make weekly notes of body measurements. Sometimes
a person gets discouraged because, after a period of satisfactory loss,
the scales show no drop for a week or more. But during these periods
body measurements often continue to decrease. To know that another half
inch has melted off the waistline is encouraging at such times. It
stiffens resistance to the common temptation of saying, “Oh, what’s the
use?” and stopping when success is in sight. Weight loss begins again if
the diet is faithfully followed.

The most important record to keep carefully is a list of the foods eaten
each day, and the quantity. Such a list serves several purposes. It can
be checked against the essential foods to make sure there are no
omissions. It will help the doctor in adjusting a diet to slower or
faster weight loss, as the need may be. It is useful as a reminder of
slips and indiscretions in eating or drinking which must be checked. It
helps to keep a person convinced about the number of calories he is
really taking in.


_Special Problems_

On a reducing diet many people find themselves eating more vegetables,
raw fruits, and salads than they did before. Most of them benefit from
the change. However, anyone who has previously had signs of ulcers,
colitis, or other digestive disturbances should tell his physician. A
person susceptible to such conditions may need to use raw fruits and
vegetables sparingly, substituting fruits stewed without sugar, or
perhaps using pureed vegetables.

Constipation sometimes occurs when eating habits are changed suddenly.
It can often be corrected by drinking more water and by using green,
leafy vegetables more generously. The substitution of stewed, dried
fruits for some fresh fruits may also help. The amount must be watched,
because dried fruits are richer in calories than fresh fruits. They are
often eaten in greater quantity and cooked with sugar.

People who are on a diet and who eat in restaurants a great deal have a
problem. Unless their budget runs to a daily steak diet, a good
cafeteria is often a better choice than other types of restaurants. The
foods are usually plainly cooked, without much fat, and can be chosen
individually. The chief problem is to develop the habit of passing by
all the display of foods which must not be eaten. The temptation to add
something extra is sometimes greater than it is at home.

If lunch is the only meal which must be eaten out, and there is no
suitable eating place available, the problem may be solved by taking
lunch from home. Some suggestions for a day’s menus, including
low-calorie lunches which can be carried to work or school, are given on
the opposite page.

              PACKED LUNCH
          for 1200 Calorie Diet
                BREAKFAST

  ½ cup fruit
  1 egg
  1 slice toast
  1 teaspoon butter
  1 glass milk
  Clear coffee or tea

                  LUNCH

  Sandwich:
     1 slice bread
     1 teaspoon butter
     1 ounce lean meat
  1 hard cooked egg
  wedge of raw cabbage
  whole raw carrot
  fresh fruit
  1 glass milk

                  LUNCH

  Sandwich:
     2 _thin_ slices bread
     1 ounce lean meat
     1 hard cooked egg
     1 teaspoon mayonnaise
     lettuce
  2 stalks celery
  1 small cucumber
  fresh fruit
  1 glass milk

                  LUNCH

  Sandwich:
     2 _thin_ slices bread
     2 ounces chicken or meat
  chopped and mixed with
     1 tablespoon mayonnaise
     1 tablespoon chopped celery and
  a little chopped onion
  large fresh tomato
  ½ green pepper
  fruit
  1 glass skim milk

                DINNER

  3 ounces meat, fish, or poultry
  ½ cup vegetables from Group I and
  Group II
  1 glass skim milk
  ½ cup fruit—fresh, or cooked or
  canned without sugar




                      UNDERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS


Anyone 20 percent or more below his best weight is considered
underweight. Definite underweight is not desirable in young people who
are still growing. It may be a symptom of disease. The glandular
disorders so often erroneously blamed for overweight are much more
likely to show themselves in loss of weight or inability to gain. Even
when there is nothing wrong, people whose weight is too far below normal
are more likely to suffer from fatigue and poor physical endurance.
Resistance to infection is often lowered. Tuberculosis strikes more
often among adolescents and young people who are underweight than it
does among those whose weight is closer to what it should be.


_What Causes Underweight?_

Certain diseases and glandular disorders can cause underweight. In
healthy people, however, underweight comes from eating too little, from
poor eating habits, from over-activity or too little rest, and from
worry or prolonged tension.

Many people eat too little for much the same reasons which make others
eat too much. Habit frequently plays a part. Meals are irregular in some
families, sometimes poorly prepared, and eating is considered the least
important of the day’s activities. It is not surprising if the children
from such families grow up with an indifferent attitude toward food.

Emotions may also play a part. The feeling of being unloved,
dissatisfaction with personal relationships, discontent over job, money,
or social restrictions, and other reasons of this kind cause some people
to react with indifference to eating just as they cause others to
overeat. Keen rivalry, a wish to take part in everything, or too great
an absorption in school or social activities sometimes cause
over-activity and underweight among adolescents.


_How to Gain Weight_

As in overweight, the first step is to see a physician and have a
thorough physical examination. It is important to find and correct
anything which may be wrong. Efforts to gain may be useless unless this
is done.

The same principles apply to gaining weight as to losing it, but in
reverse. Underweight people must take in _more_ calories than they use,
so that there will be some left over to store as fat.

Will power can be as great a factor in gaining weight successfully as it
is in losing, particularly for people who do not like many of the
essential foods. They must learn to say “yes” to enough of the right
foods, regardless of their wishes, just as firmly as their fat friends
need to say “no” to forbidden extras.

As in overweight, it is important first to include the essential foods
in the day’s meals. These foods are necessary for maximum health,
whether a person’s weight is too high, too low, or just right. Some
underweight individuals whose food choices have been poor may find that
they are able to gain merely by making sure that they include these
foods in their diet. Others need to study ways to add extra calories.


_Adding Extra Calories_

The simplest way is to eat more at each meal—extra bread and butter, and
second helpings of everything.

Often, however, underweight people seem to have a small stomach
capacity. Therefore, additions of high-calorie foods which add little or
no bulk are probably easier to take at first than trying to eat larger
quantities. Such additions as cream on cereals and in beverages; extra
eggs in puddings, salad dressings, and drinks; and butter or other fat
used generously in salad dressings, cooking and seasoning should add
enough calories to enable most people to gain weight. Also, provided
they are added to regular meals and not used to replace them, the
high-calorie foods listed on page 14 should be used freely by anyone
trying to gain weight. If they do not interfere with eating enough at
regular meals, between-meal snacks also help. So do extra milk and
something to eat before going to bed.


_Saving Energy_

The body uses fewer calories at rest than when active, and least of all
during sleep. Therefore, any extra sleep or rest which an underweight
person gets will help him to gain. Whatever energy can be saved during
waking hours by riding instead of walking, sitting instead of standing,
and relaxing as often as possible will add to the calories saved.

A healthy person who decides to gain weight, and who sticks to his
program of taking in more calories than he needs, and of spending as few
as possible in needless physical activity, can be sure that sooner or
later his efforts will meet with success.




                             CALORIE TABLES


            FOOD                       MEASURES[4]              CALORIES

  Almonds                  12-15                                     100
  Apple butter             1 tablespoon                               40
  Apples, baked            1 large and 2 tablespoons sugar           200
    fresh                  1 large                                   100
  Applesauce, sweetened    ½ cup                                     100
  Apricots,
    canned in sirup        3 large halves and 2 tablespoons juice    100
    dried                  10 halves                                 100
  Asparagus, fresh or      5 stalks 5 inches long                     15
  canned
  Avocado                  ½ pear 4 inches long                      265
  Bacon                    2-3 long slices cooked                    100
  Bacon fat                1 tablespoon                              100
  Banana                   1 medium 6 inches long                    100
  Beans,
    canned with pork       ½ cup                                     130
    dried                  ½ cup cooked                              135
    lima, fresh or canned  ½ cup                                     100
    snap, fresh or canned  ½ cup                                      25
  Beef
    corned                 1 slice 4 inches by 1½ by 1               100
    dried                  2 thin slices 4 by 5 inches                50
    hamburg steak          1 patty (4 to 5 per pound)                150
    round, lean            1 medium slice (2 ounces)                 100
    sirloin, lean          1 average slice (3 ounces)                150
    tongue                 2 slices 3 inches by 2 by ⅛                50
  Beet greens              ½ cup cooked                               30
  Beets, fresh or canned   2 beets 2 inches in diameter               50
  Biscuits, baking powder  2 small                                   100
  Blackberries, fresh      1 cup                                     100
  Blueberries, fresh       1 cup                                      90
  Bologna                  1 slice 2 inches by ½ thick               100
  Breads
    Boston brown           1 slice 3 inches in diameter, ¾ thick      90
    corn (1 egg)           1 2-inch square                           120
    cracked wheat          1 slice average                            80
    dark rye               1 slice ½ inch thick                       70
    light rye              1 slice ½ inch thick                       75
    white, enriched        1 slice average                            75
    white, enriched        1 slice thin                               55
    whole wheat, 60%       1 slice average                            70
    whole wheat, 100%      1 slice average                            75
  Broccoli                 3 stalks 5½ inches long                   100
  Brownies                 1 piece 2 inches by 2 by ¾                140
  Brussels sprouts         6 sprouts ½ inch in diameter               50
  Butter                   1 tablespoon                               95
  Cabbage, cooked          ½ cup                                      40
    raw                    1 cup                                      25
  Cake
    angel                  ¹/₁₀ of a large cake                      155
    chocolate or vanilla,  1 piece 2 inches by 2 by 1                100
        no icing
    chocolate or vanilla,  1 piece 2 inches by 1½ by 1               100
        with icing
    cup cake with          1 medium                                  250
        chocolate icing
  Cantaloupe               ½ of a 5½-inch melon                       50
  Carrots                  1 carrot 4 inches long                     25
  Cashew nuts              4-5                                       100
  Cauliflower              ¼ of a head 4½ inches in diameter          25
  Caviar                   1 tablespoon                               25
  Celery                   2 stalks                                   15
  Cheese
    American cheddar       1 cube 1⅛ inches square or three          110
                             tablespoons grated
    cottage                5 tablespoons                             100
    cream                  2 tablespoons                             100
  Cherries, sweet          15 large                                   75
  Chicken,
    broiled                ½ medium broiler                          100
    roast                  1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼               100
  Chinese cabbage          1 cup raw                                  20
  Chocolate
    almond bar             1 bar 5-cent size                         200
    fudge                  1 piece 1 inch square by ¾ thick          100
    malted milk            fountain size                             460
    mints                  1 mint 1½ inches in diameter              100
    plain bar              1 bar 5-cent size                         240
    sirup                  ¼ cup                                     195
    unsweetened            1 square                                  162
  Cider, sweet             1 cup                                     114
  Clams                    6 round                                   100
  Cocoa, half milk, half   1 cup                                     150
  water
  Cocoanut                 3 tablespoons dry                         100
  Cod liver oil            1 tablespoon                              100
  Cod steak                1 piece 3½ inches by 2 by 1               100
  Cola soft drinks         6-ounce bottle                             75
  Collards                 ½ cup cooked                               50
  Cooking fats, vegetable  1 tablespoon                              100
  Corn                     ½ cup                                      50
  Corn sirup               1 tablespoon                               75
  Cornflakes               1 cup                                      80
  Cornmeal                 1 tablespoon uncooked                      35
  Cornstarch pudding       ½ cup                                     200
  Crackers
    graham                 1 square                                   40
    peanut butter-cheese   1 cracker                                  45
        sandwich
    round snack-type       1 cracker 2 inches in diameter             15
    rye wafers             1 wafer                                    25
    saltines               1 cracker 2 inches square                  15
  Cranberry sauce          ¼ cup                                     100
  Cream
    light                  2 tablespoons                              65
    heavy                  2 tablespoons                             120
    whipped                3 tablespoons                             100
  Cream-puff shells        1 shell                                    85
  Cucumber                 ½ medium                                   10
  Custard, boiled or baked ½ cup                                     130
  Dates                    4                                         100
  Egg                      1 medium size                              75
  Eggplant                 3 slices 4 inches in diameter ½-inch       50
                             thick
  Endive                   average serving                            10
  Escarole                 average serving                            10
  Figs, dried              3 small                                   100
  Flour, white or whole    1 tablespoon unsifted                      35
  grain
  Frankfurter              1 sausage                                 100
  Gelatin, fruit flavored
    dry                    3-ounce package                           330
    ready to serve         ½ cup                                      85
  Ginger ale               1 cup                                      85
  Gingerbread, hot water   2-inch square                             270
  Grapefruit juice,        1 cup                                     100
  unsweetened
  Grape juice              ½ cup                                      80
  Grape nuts               ¼ cup                                     100
  Grapes,
    American or Tokay      1 bunch—22 average                         75
    seedless               1 bunch—30 average                         75
  Griddle cakes            1 cake 4 inches in diameter                75
  Halibut                  1 piece 3 inches by 1⅜ by 1               100
  Ham, lean                1 slice 4¼ inches by 4 by ½               265
  Hard sauce               1 tablespoon                              100
  Hickory nuts             12-15                                     100
  Hominy grits             ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Honey                    1 tablespoon                              100
  Ice cream                ½ cup                                     200
  Ice cream soda           fountain size                             325
  Jellies and jams         1 rounded tablespoon                      100
  Kale                     ½ cup                                      50
  Lamb, roast              1 slice 3½ inches by 4½ by ⅛              100
  Lard                     1 tablespoon                              100
  Lemon juice              1 tablespoon                                5
  Lettuce                  2 large leaves                              5
  Liver                    1 slice 3 inches by 3 by ½                100
  Liverwurst               1 slice 3¼ inches by ½ thick              100
  Lobster meat             1 cup                                     150
  Macaroni                 ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Maple sirup              1 tablespoon                               70
  Margarine                1 tablespoon                              100
  Marshmallows             1                                          20
  Milk
    buttermilk             1 cup                                      85
    condensed              1½ tablespoons                            100
    evaporated             ½ cup (1 cup diluted)                     160
    skim milk, dried       2½ tablespoons                            100
    skim milk, fresh       1 cup                                      85
    whole milk             1 cup                                     168
    yogurt, plain          1 cup                                     160
  Mints, cream             ½ inch cube                                 5
  Molasses                 1 tablespoon                               70
  Muffins
    bran                   1 medium                                   90
    1 egg                  1 medium                                  130
  Mushrooms                10 large                                   10
  Mustard greens           ½ cup cooked                               31
  Noodles                  ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Oatmeal                  ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Oil (corn, cottonseed,   1 tablespoon                              100
  olive, and peanut)
  Okra                     10-15 pods                                 50
  Olives
    green                  6 medium                                   50
    ripe                   4-5 medium                                 50
  Onions                   3-4 medium                                100
  Orange                   1 medium                                   80
    juice                  1 cup                                     125
  Oysters                  5 medium                                  100
  Parsnips                 1 parsnip 7 inches long                   100
  Peaches
    canned in sirup        2 large halves and 3 tablespoons juice    100
    dried                  4 medium halves                           100
    fresh                  1 medium                                   50
  Peanut butter            1 tablespoon                              100
  Peanuts                  10                                         50
  Pears
    canned in sirup        3 halves and 3 tablespoons juice          100
    fresh                  1 medium                                   50
  Peas
    canned                 ½ cup                                      65
    fresh, shelled         ¾ cup                                     100
  Pecans                   6                                         100
  Pepper, green            1 medium                                   20
  Pickles, cucumber
    sour and dill          10 slices 2 inches in diameter             10
    sweet                  1 small                                    10
  Pies                     (sectors from 9-inch pies)
    apple                  3-inch sector                             200
    lemon meringue         3-inch sector                             300
    mincemeat              3-inch sector                             300
    pumpkin                3-inch sector                             250
  Pineapple
    canned, unsweetened    1 slice ½ inch thick and 1 tablespoon      50
                             juice
    fresh                  1 slice ¾ inch thick                       50
    juice, unsweetened     1 cup                                     135
  Plums
    canned                 2 medium and 1 tablespoon juice            50
    fresh                  2 medium                                   50
  Popcorn                  1½ cups popped                            100
  Popovers                 1 popover                                 100
  Pork chop, lean          1 medium                                  200
  Potato chips             8-10 large                                100
  Potato salad with        ½ cup                                     200
  mayonnaise
  Potatoes
    mashed                 ½ cup                                     100
    sweet                  ½ medium                                  100
    white                  1 medium                                  100
  Prune juice              ½ cup                                     100
  Prunes, dried            4 medium                                  100
  Pumpkin                  ½ cup                                      50
  Radishes                 5                                          10
  Raisins                  ¼ cup                                      90
  Raspberries, fresh       1 cup                                      90
  Rhubarb, stewed and      ½ cup                                     100
  sweetened
  Rice                     ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Roll, Parker House       1 medium                                  100
  Rutabagas                ½ cup                                      30
  Salad dressing
    boiled                 1 tablespoon                               25
    French                 1 tablespoon                               90
    mayonnaise             1 tablespoon                              100
  Salmon, canned           ½ cup                                     100
  Sardines, drained        5 fish 3 inches long                      100
  Sauerkraut               ½ cup                                      15
  Sherbet                  ½ cup                                     120
  Soup, condensed          11-ounce can
    Bouillon                                                         25
    Mushroom                                                        360
    Noodle                                                          290
    Tomato                                                          230
    Vegetable                                                       200
  Spaghetti               ¾ cup cooked                              100
  Spinach                 ½ cup cooked                               20
  Squash
    summer                ½ cup cooked                               20
    winter                ½ cup cooked                               50
  Strawberries, fresh     1 cup                                      90
  Sugar
    brown                 1 tablespoon                               35
    granulated            1 tablespoon                               50
    powdered              1 tablespoon                               40
  Sweetbreads             1 pair medium-sized                       240
  Swiss chard             ½ cup leaves and stems                     30
  Tangerines              1 medium                                   60
  Tapioca, uncooked       1 tablespoon                               50
  Tomato juice            1 cup                                      60
  Tomatoes, canned        ½ cup                                      25
    fresh                 1 medium                                   30
  Tuna fish, canned       ¼ cup drained                             100
  Turkey, lean            1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼               100
  Turnip                  1 turnip 1¾ inches in diameter             25
  Turnip greens           ½ cup cooked                               30
  Veal, roast             1 slice 3 inches by 3¾ by ½               120
  Waffles                 1 waffle 6 inches in diameter             250
  Walnuts                 8                                         100
  Watermelon              1 slice 6 inches in diameter 1½           190
                            inches thick
  Wheat
    flakes                ¾ cup                                     100
    germ                  1 tablespoon                               25
    shredded              1 biscuit                                 100
  _Alcoholic Beverages_
  Beer                    8 ounces                                  120
  Gin                     1½ ounces                                 120
  Rum                     1½ ounces                                 150
  Whiskey                 1½ ounces                                 150
  Wines
    champagne             4 ounces                                  120
    port                  1 ounce                                    53
    sherry                1 ounce                                    38
    table, red or white   4 ounces                                89-95




                               FOOTNOTES


[1]_These tables are based on numerous Medico-Actuarial studies of
    hundreds of thousands of insured men and women._

[2]A calorie is a measure of the amount of heat (energy) which the body
    can get from a given amount of food.

[3]_See page 18 for list of Group I and II vegetables, and for
    lower-calorie fruits._

[4]_1 cup equals 8 ounces. 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. 4 tablespoons
    equal ¼ cup._




                          Transcriber’s Notes


—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
  _underscores_.